Anti-Charter Aseanists, unite!

Seven member states of Asean have ratified the Charter and only three countries have yet to ratify it. The three countries are Indonesia, the Phillipines and Thailand.

Of all the seven countries, not one of the ratification processes had gone through a democratic mean. In Malaysia, it was ratified by the executive branch of the government, without participation of the legislative arm.

For a document that would have far reaching effects on more than half a billion people in Southeast Asia, surely the document deserves to be vetted more closely. It at least has to go through the elected representatives in the democratic legislature. Or ideally, directly decided upon by the people via referenda.

Isn't that the invested idea in the Asean Charter, democracy? Or the Charter and the word democracy are so cheaply uttered by the lips of Asean politicians that its worth has devalued so greatly?

All seven have failed to live up to a democratic ideal and the Singaporean Prime Minister even has the cheek to say that implementation of the Charter would go through regardless of the ratification status of the Charter in Indonesia, the Phillipines and Thailand.

I would hate to have a Constitution which has no respect individual liberty forced upon all citizens of Asean. The current form is likely to be useless in advancing individual liberty, judging even at how bureaucrats, some of them are part of the most repressive regime, most of them are part of states unconscious or dismissive of individual liberty and all disconnected from the the basic unit of a society, the individuals, are writing it. In the name of unity, these bureaucrats are willing to turn a blind eye to requirement for strong protection for individual liberty.

Now, the future of a democratic Asean rests upon these final three countries. I urge all Indonesians, Filipinos and Thais to write to your representatives and urge them to save all of us. Urge them to reject the Charter and force the Charter to go to the drawing board again. Force the Charter to go through the people.

The Modern-Day Filipino Symbol

This is a multi-authored blog. One entry may not necessarily reflect the opinion of the others.

Let's accept it. Some of us have considered the word "conservative" as legendary. Young people (like me) nowadays have been so into techies and up-to-date gadgets. So how does these affect us and our future?

Let me show you what most young Filipinos take with them nowadays.



1. Of course, we can't live without gold as much as rabbits do with their partners.

2. Cellphones have been the Filipinos' number one addiction since the comic magazines. They have become a necessity to the country (and to the world) that the Philippines might be considered the Texting Capital of the World.

3. Condoms are absolute evidences why "conservative" as now a history. Though the Church has been battling out condom ads everywhere, youngsters have learned to use these things as fast as they learned how to use the internet. It could help with the 91 Million and rising population, you know.

4. Well, Filipinos really are fond of singing that even jeepneys are equipped with high end sound systems.

5. Everywhere you go, you can always find an internet cafe in the Philippines nowadays. They've been addicted to it. No wonder we've dominated the Miss Photogenic Award in Miss Universe.

Do you have one of those? If yes, then maybe you do belong to the new generation. If not, better be satisfied with what you have.

What About Timor?

For several years, we've been considering Southeast Asia (just as ASEAN says so) as the Asia's Perfect 10.

But then again, things have gone different now. We have always defined this Perfect Ten as Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Laos and Viet Nam. But we have forgotten that we have recently welcome our youngest brother, Timor Leste.

This is indeed regretful that even the SEA Games logo still depicts 10 rings.

Well I suggest, as to welcome Timor Leste on this blog, that we should change the blog's name as Asia's Perfect 11. *wink*

What d'you think guys?